It's Like Having Writer's Block
by Cas-kett
Summary: I started this fanfic during the "Schlemming" period of Castle. There's a bit of Castle feeling upset over watching Beckett with Demming, some crime, some banter, and a little Esposito / Ryan : Working on more, enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Beat me to it

_Darn! Another coffee to throw out thanks to Tom!_ Castle yelled in his head.

Castle had gone to Beckett's favorite coffee shop and stood in line for 20 minutes, just to get her what used to be "usual" morning latte'. But ever since Tom Demming, a good-looking robbery detective, had come around- Castle had no one to give the extra latte' to because Demming always beat him to it. Castle stood there in his dark denim jeans, black v-neck shirt, and dark grey jacket. He could see into the break room- there was Demming leaning on Castle's expensive espresso maker he had bought the squad, and then there was Beckett twirling her brown hair as she laughed with him. Castle could feel his heart sink and also had a feeling in his stomach that he had had since the first time he had ever caught a glimpse of Beckett and Tom laughing with each other after a case they had solved a few days ago. He sighed and looked over at Ryan, who was sitting at his desk typing, and walked over with the two drinks.

"Hey Castle, what's up?" Ryan asked, as he looked up at a disappointed Castle.

"The crime rate for robberies." Castle replied, as he leaned back to look over into the break room. Beckett was now walking towards the doorway and Demming was definitely checking her out as she did. This made Castle fill with an unknown jealousy that he never knew he had.

"Huh?" Ryan asked with a confused look. Ryan stared at Castle and then looked over towards the break room also, to try and figure out what he was talking about.

"Demming never seems to be working, he's always lurking…around….up here…with his hair." Castle continued, "So there's some unsolved _robbery_ going on out there because he's up here with Beck…" Castle went, until he stopped himself. Castle was suddenly aware that he was venting about his dislike for Demming hanging around Beckett to the wrong person. He looked back at Ryan, who had a smile on his face.

"You really don't like _Demming_, huh Castle?" Ryan asked, as he leaned back in his chair pleased that he was about to tease Castle for being jealous.

"As a matter of fact, I don't think it's Demming…nah…it's Demming and _**Beckett**_ that you don't like bro." Esposito chimed in, as he threw a stack of case files onto his desk next to Ryan's.

Castle was suddenly being cornered by the two, smug, homicide detectives._ Here we go _he thought. Ryan and Esposito loved it whenever they could get their hands on something to tease Castle about. Esposito crossed his arms and looked over at Beckett who was smiling at Demming.

"Oh c'mon…please I really don't care about…" Castle tried to say, but was interrupted by Ryan.

"Hm. You hear that?" Ryan said, as he raised his hand up to his ear looking around the squad room.

"Yeah, man, it's like a familiar sound bro…like a…" Esposito went, smiling.

"Confession." Ryan spoke, as he finished Esposito's sentence. They were enjoying this all too much. Castle had looked back and forth at the two detectives as each one of them spoke. Castle was feeling the heat from the spotlight being put on him- almost felt like an interrogation. But he wasn't about to "confess" anything to them…no way.

"A confession for liking…" Esposito went to say, but then Castle caught Beckett in the corner of his eye and lit up at the sight of her walking over to them, without Demming, and he interrupted Esposito before he could finish.

"Beckett!" Castle said, totally ignoring the guys who were busting on him for liking the very person who stood in front of him. Beckett was wearing heels, black dress pants that made her legs look longer than they were, a white boat-neck three-quartered shirt, and wore her short-brown hair down to her perfectly fit shoulders.

"Hey guys…what's going on?" Beckett asked, unaware of the conversation that had been going on with the three of them the whole time she was with Demming. Beckett sipped her coffee from Demming and looked at Castle, who was staring hate into the cup of coffee in her right hand. Watching her sip the coffee, that wasn't from him, was like torture.

"Just waiting for Castle here to tell us exactly how he feels." Esposito spoke with humor in his voice.

"About what?" Beckett asked. She was staring at Castle who had his eyes fixed at Esposito and he had them wide-open as if he was saying 'shut up' through his gaze. But then he looked slowly over to Beckett, who was looking at him with a look of curiosity on her face. _Something's up_ she thought.

"About _who_, is more like it." Ryan chimed in with a smirk.


	2. Chapter 2: Something's up

Before Beckett or Castle could say anything, Ryan's phone rang. He picked it up and then Esposito sat down in his chair, still with a smile on his face. Ryan hung up the phone and looked at Esposito and told him they've got to get downtown. And Castle could feel the tension he had leave with ease, as he saw the two partners in crime and cracking jokes leave towards the elevator. Castle turned back to Beckett and smiled.

"You okay Castle?" Beckett asked. She was confused as to why he was acting so odd, but then again it was Castle.

"Yeah…I'm…coffee?" Castle couldn't think of anything to say, so he used the coffee as something to give to cover up how he was really feeling. Then he remembered that she already had Captain Perfect's coffee and he felt stupid for asking.

"No thanks, actually Tom…" Beckett went to say, but then Castle rolled his eyes at the sound of Tom's name.

"Jeez…" Castle mumbled. He hated having to hear the name be spoken from her.

"What?" Beckett demanded. She was shocked by his 'roll of the eye' action and mumbling.

"What, what?" Castle replied in a nervous tone. He had let a bit of his jealousy slip out right in front of her.

Beckett squinted her eyes and furrowed her brow for a moment and decided to not pursue their awkward conversation. She turned and headed to her desk. Castle let out a breath and followed her lead. Castle sat down in his usual seat next to Beckett's desk, and still held the two coffees in his hands. Beckett began typing and it was unusually quiet, which Beckett didn't mind. Castle stared at her for a few minutes and wondered when the silence would break. But of course he couldn't wait too long, so he just blurted out anything.

"I like your top." Castle spoke, breaking the silence that Beckett was enjoying. She looked at him with a questionable facial expression.

"Castle, this isn't the first time I've worn this." Beckett spoke, as she looked down at herself in her white boatneck shirt, and then back up at him.

"I know, but this is the first time that I'm saying it." Castle replied with a smile. _Where the hell am I going with this?_ He yelled in his head.

Beckett removed her hands off the keyboard of her computer, and turned her chair to face him.

"Okay, Castle, what's going on with you?" Beckett demanded.

"Nothing…" Castle said, he felt like he was about to be interrogated.

"It doesn't take a _detective_ to see that something's up with you, Castle." Beckett spoke.

"There is nothing _up_ with me, I'm fine." Castle lied.

Beckett widened her eyes and then let them go back to normal, she knew he wasn't going to spill whatever was going on with him, so she just turned back to her computer. Castle looked at her and was yelling in his head for not telling her that yeah something was up, and not his ego. She reached for her "Demming" coffee and Castle quickly knocked it over- on purpose.

"Ah! Castle…" Beckett yelled. He had spilled coffee onto her desk and some on her left leg, which was closest to him.

"Oops…sorry. Here take this one." Castle said without hesitation, as he held up the coffee he had brought with him for her. She reached out and accepted it from him. Castle grabbed some napkins out of the paper bag, which had a bear-claw for Beckett in it, and started to clean up the mess he made.

Castle went to rub the coffee off her pants, when Beckett's phone rang.

"Beckett." she answered. Castle watched her eyes focus and her face became serious, like it always did when a call came in about a homicide. She hung up the phone and wiped off her stained pants, as she stood up.

"Murder?" Castle asked, as he stood up next to her.

"I would of thought by now, Castle, you wouldn't even need to ask." Beckett replied, as she stood up and grabbed her leather jacket.

They both headed towards the elevator and stepped into it to head towards their next case.


	3. Chapter 3: Stiletto to the head

In the car, Castle was still thinking about how he was feeling. He had no words for it, because he had never felt anything like it before, it was something new to him. Castle could see the stain of coffee on Beckett's dark pants start to fade. He smiled.

"Have you been to any good restaurants lately? I've been trying to think of somewhere new to go." Beckett asked, as she drove.

"I haven't been eating out much lately. We've been cooking dinner at home all week and by 'we' I mean Alexis and I...not my mother." Castle smiled. Beckett laughed.

"Is take-out not working for you anymore? Because you're more than welcome to come over and try some of my specialties…I can make anything you'd like…and I know what you like." Castle raised an eyebrow in a suggestive way. Beckett rolled her eyes and smiled a little.

"The best thing you could ever make me is a day where you actually listen to what I tell you to do, with a side of peace and quiet." Beckett joked. Castle smiled.

"I don't have a recipe for that." Castle replied with a smile.

"So I'm guessing you're trying to plan a date?" Castle asked. He knew it was, but wished it wasn't.

"Maybe, why?" Beckett asked with a look and tone of curiosity.

"Nothing, just wondering…what you see in him." Castle said, but he mumbled the last part. Beckett looked over at him and squinted her eyes to try and figure out what was going on- still.

They arrived to an apartment in the upper east side of Manhattan. The usual caution tape was hung up over the entrance to the crime scene, cops were talking as CSU took pictures and measured the room. Lanie was there hovering over the lifeless young female, who was lying in a pool of blood on a blanket. Beckett looked at the victim as they approached and also at the open window with glass shattered on the wooden floor. There was a high-heeled shoe lying near her with blood on it.

"Stiletto to the head." Castle said, as they stopped in front of the body. There was a small hole with blood on the woman's forehead.

"Looks like someone broke in. Robbery?" Beckett asked.

"Doesn't look like it, but a few drawers were opened in the bedroom, and looks like our perp was looking for something." Esposito spoke.

"Looks like he didn't find it or she wouldn't give it up." Castle spoke, as he looked at the body and then cased the living room. The body had some bruising on the arms and there was another stiletto lying across the room. Beckett kneeled down next to Lanie, who was taking a swab of the blood.

"Your victim has a lot of bruising on her arms and also a little bit of the suspect on her right hand." Lanie said, as she lifted the arm of the dead girl and showed Beckett a few strands of hair caught in the vic's ring. Beckett observed the body carefully and stood up to walk around the apartment.

"How long has she been like this?" Beckett asked, still staring at the lifeless body.

"There isn't a sign of lividity setting in completely, or rigor. So I'm going to guess maybe around three or four a.m. I'll know more when we get her back to the morgue." Lanie spoke.

"Nice stain." Ryan remarked referring to her pant-leg.

"That was my bad." Castle said innocently, even though on the inside he was glad he did it.

"Hm…I'm sure it was…" Esposito chimed in. Castle cursed in his head, _here we go again_ he thought.

"Looks like the vic suffered quite the blow to the head…and put up a fight." Beckett spoke, completely oblivious to what was going on still with the three guys.

"Bruising is post-mortem. The heel didn't do it either, as far as I can tell...she was dead after the heel to the head. Your girl beat her afterwards." Lanie spoke, as she pointed towards the hole in the woman's forehead.

"What makes you think it was a she?" Castle asked.

"Stiletto's are definitely a woman's choice of accessory..." Lanie spoke.

"And weaponry." Beckett added, looking up at Castle.

"Also found an acrylic nail that didn't belong to the victim." Lanie said, as she picked up a small plastic bag with a red nail in it.

"Looks like it was personal- so I'm guessing not a robbery, just a girl fight." Castle added. He stared at the lifeless female lying on the ground. He was always good with observing and giving input at crime scenes, one of the reasons why Beckett liked working with him.

"Hey bro, maybe we should get a second opinion, just in case it was a _robbery_." Esposito said, as he looked at Castle. Castle looked at him and felt the feeling he had earlier- he knew what they were getting at.

"Yeah, you're right man. Who do we know that could help us out with a _robbery_?" Ryan teased. He was grinning at Castle.

Castle quickly stepped in front of the two detectives; Beckett was talking to Lanie and not paying attention.

"Laugh it up my friends…laugh it up." Castle fake laughed.

"Man, Castle, I've never seen you get this way over someone." Ryan said, as he creased his brow.

"No man I get it, just three weeks ago you were making…what was it bro pancakes?" Esposito said, as he looked over at Ryan to help him torture Castle. Castle was looking at each of them as they spoke.

"Yep." Ryan spoke, as he smiled.

"And now someone else steps in and is bringing in the _bacon_."Esposito said, referring to Demming bringing Beckett food and coffee.

"Hey! I would've made the bacon too, if there wasn't something furry on…" Castle whispered and protested. But then he stopped as he saw the grins appear on both their faces.

"Hm." Ryan and Esposito both said, as they crossed their arms. Castle knew that they were enjoying watching him squirm. But he knew he would do the same thing to them if he was in their shoes.

"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt your _bromancing_ over here, but there is a _dead_ body and a bunch of evidence that needs collecting. But whenever you're ready..." Beckett interrupted with a smile at the end, as she stepped in between the three of them. The three men looked at her.

"Vic's name is Olivia Prescot, twenty-four years old, lives alone, and works at a bank off of Lex." Esposito spoke, as he read off his notepad.

"Her purse is still here and so is the cash, credit cards in her wallet." Ryan added, as he pointed to the purse hanging off a doorknob.

"What could be so valuable that they needed to beat her after she was dead?" Beckett asked.

Ryan and Esposito left the scene to speak with neighbors. Beckett and Castle headed back to the precinct, to talk with a friend of the victim.


	4. Chapter 4: She's ahe?

Beckett and Castle were alone in the elevator, like they always were. He could smell the scent of cherries coming off of her. He wondered if she ever liked inhaling the smell of his cologne. She did. He hated how unaware she was of his constant thoughts of her. Always wondering about where and what she was doing. But little did he know, Beckett was thinking about him. She wondered what was going on inside his mind. On a regular day she'd be able to figure that out in a heartbeat, but not today. There was something about him. She took in a breath of his mild-scented cologne. _He's never acted like this before,_ she thought. But then, in an instant, Beckett had an idea of what might be triggering his odd behavior.

Ding! The elevator doors opened and Beckett went to step out, but then she stopped abruptly and stuck out her arm in front of Castle, making him stop also. She could see Esposito running up towards the elevator with a folder in his hand, yelling over to them. She quickly hit the button to close the doors and watched as a confused Esposito slowly disappeared through the cracks of the doors as they closed. Beckett turned to a startled Castle.

"Why'd you do that?" Castle whispered, he was kind of scared by the look he was getting.

"Is there something I should know?" Beckett asked, as she leaned in towards him.

"Besides the fact that we're standing here, in an old elevator that almost killed me the other week...no." Castle replied. Beckett had one hand placed on the wall of the elevator so that she was leaning.

"I know what you're up to Castle." Beckett said, as she squinted her eyes at him. He gulped.

"A…" Castle let out, as he glanced down and then up. He was hoping she didn't figure out what had been going on through is head. He wasn't ready to explain it. Not yet. Not now

"Castle, I know." Beckett said, as she kept her eyes locked onto his. He sighed and then decided to confess.

"Listen, Beckett, I'm sorry I should be honest wit..." Castle went.

"Why didn't you tell me about the bet you have with Ryan and Esposito?" Beckett asked, as she crossed her long arms.

"The what now?" Castle asked, completely puzzled.

"Bet...with Ryan and Espo..." Beckett looked confused now also. She thought she had him.

"There is...no...bet..." Castle said slowly, as he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh. A...well the way you three have been acting all day...it's like your hiding something from m..." Beckett said, until Castle suddenly jumped in.

"Oh that bet! Yes, a we just have a bet on um..." Castle lied. He was trying to get out fom under the spotlight, or in their case, the elevator.

Ding! The elevator doors opened.

"Oh, no you guys still have four more minutes in heaven." Esposito smirked, as he looked at his watch. He looked like he had been standing there waiting for them the whole time. Castle and Beckett turned their heads from Esposito and then back to each other. Realizing how close she was to Castle, Beckett stood up straight and started to head out of the elevator.

"What did you find?" Beckett asked, as she pointed at the file in Esposito's hand trying to cover up what he just witnessed.

"Meet Candy Williams. Worked with our vic at the bank, before being let go due to a heavy arguement the two of them had just two weeks ago." Esposito spoke.

"She's a..." Beckett spoke, as she tilted her head at the file.

"He?" Castle finished, as he furrowed his brow along with Beckett's.

"Careful bro, _she_ likes to be referred to as a _she_." Esposito warned.

"Also known as John Williams." Castle said, as he hovered over Beckett's shoulder.

"Where's the friend of our victim?" Beckett asked Esposito, as she looked up from the file.

"Newton Myers. Ryan and I just finished talking to him before you guys got here, and he last saw our vic two nights ago at a party. Hasn't talked to her since. Also has an alibi for last night." Esposito replied.

"Wait...Olivia is our victim. Newton is the friend, and Candy also formally known as John is our possible suspect? Olivia Newton John, haha." Castle laughed. Beckett shook her head and smiled.

"Well, let's go talk with her and see if she had anything to do with the murder." Beckett said as she looked up at the guys. Castle followed Beckett, as she lead the way over to the interrogation room. Beckett grabbed the door handle and and looked back at Castle, who stopped suddenly bumping into her.

"What?" Castle asked.

"Try to keep your witty remarks..." Beckett went.

"To myself, duly noted..." Castle finished, but then had to add one last part as Beckett nodded her head, "...but probably won't happen." Beckett opened the door and the two of them walked in.


	5. Chapter 5: You know how it is

"You know how it is for us women." Candy said, as she tucked her blonde hair. Beckett furrowed her brow, trying not to smile, and let Castle do the smirking for the both of them.

"If you mean murdering a person by stabbing their forehead with a high-heel, then beating them repeatedly afterwards? Then no, I don't know how it is." Beckett snapped back.

"Woah, wait what? I didn't mur… Who was killed?" Candy immediately demanded.

"Olivia... your co-worker or should I say former co-worker, since you were fired two weeks ago and she's dead." Castle chimed in.

"Liv is dead? Oh my..." Candy gasped.

"Where were you last night between midnight and 3am?" Beckett asked, as she came down harder on their possible suspect.

"You think I did it? I would never...look we may of had our disagreements, sure, but I wouldn't kill her over..." Candy hesitated at the last part of her sentence. Which showed Beckett and Castle that she was hiding something. Beckett and Castle looked at each other confused and then back at Candy.

"Over what?" Beckett asked, as she leaned in. Candy looked down nervously."Candy, we have _your_ red acrylic nail at the scene of the crime of a dead woman who you were seen arguing with a week before she died. I can hold you here in a cell for as long as it takes."

"I was there. But I didn't kill her, I swear." Candy replied, between sobs. Beckett and Castle looked at each other and then back at their suspect.

"What were you doing there? From what we've heard, it doesn't sound like you two were friends." Castle spoke.

"We were never friends. We were dating before I..." Candy looked down at herself and pointed at her (his) chest and face. Beckett could tell Castle was about to say something witty, so she cut in before he could.

"Why were you there Candy?" Beckett demanded.

"I wanted to apoligize for our argument. I went over to her apartment to talk to her, and when I left she was still alive. I got home just before midnight, you can ask my apartment tenant- he saw me come in." Candy explained.

"You may have an alibi, but how do you explain your broken nail on the floor. Fake nails don't just fall of without some kind of force. You know how it is." Beckett replied, as she raised an eyebrow. Castle became intrigued by her comment and her tone of voice.

Candy didn't answer.

"There were signs of struggle and she was beaten, which makes it personal. Which makes _you_ a murder suspect." Castle said, as he put his hands together on the table. Candy looked up and spoke.

"She came at me, even after I apoligized. She just lost it. I've never seen that side of her. I was scared, and so I hit her with my bag. Then she threw it and grabbed my hair. I tried to get her off, and then my hand hit a side table hard, so my nail came off. She finally released and yelled at me to get out. So I left." Candy said, she was sitting with her arms crossed.

"Told you, girl fight." Castle mumbled for only Beckett to hear. Beckett blinked and let her eyes glance at Castle quickly before asking another question.

"What was the argument about?" Beckett asked, she could tell Candy was upset, so Beckett backed off a bit.

"Money. I needed to borrow some, and thought maybe she could help me out. After having my surgeries, I've had a hard time paying bills. But that day she was acting odd at work, which is why we argued." Candy replied. She was cooperating...finally.

Just then the interrogation room door swung open. Ryan signaled for Beckett to come over to him. She got up and leaned in to hear what Ryan had to say. Beckett furrowed her brow and looked back at Candy. Ryan walked away and Beckett turned around.

"You're free to leave." Beckett said. Castle looked confused, and so did Candy.

Candy stood up and grabbed her purse, then walked out the door. Castle stood up, as he grabbed the file lying on the table.

"Alibi check out?" Castle asked, and assumed. Beckett nodded.

Just then a voice from up the hall yelled over to Beckett. She turned her head and smiled. Castle knew instantly who it was- Demming.


	6. Chapter 6: Late lunch

Castle sat in his chair next Beckett's desk. This was normal for him, but Beckett wasn't in her seat this time. He sat there in silence. The only noises were from the break room of other officers getting coffee, other detectives typing up their paperwork, and then came the familiar sound of two Detectives named Ryan and Esposito.

"Hey man, where's Beckett?" Esposito asked, as him and Ryan walked over to him.

"With..." Castle spoke, and then he nodded over towards the meeting room where Beckett and Demming were eating take-out.

"A little late to be having lunch." Ryan said, as he looked at his watch.

"And it's not even from her favorite take-out place." Castle mumbled deeply.

"What?" Esposito and Ryan asked together.

"Huh...oh nothing. Did you guys find anything else?" Castle said quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, just got back from the M.E. and Lanie found some high levels of a pill our vic was taking." Ryan informed.

"Could explain why she was acting so odd, and also for her violent behavior." Castle added. The sound of Beckett laughing brought a sad look onto Castle's face. Ryan's phone rang and he walked away to answer it. Esposito could see the sadness in his friend, so he leaned on the desk and looked down at Castle.

"Hey bro, you okay?" Esposito asked, even though he knew Castle wasn't. Castle looked up at him.

"Yeah, fine...why?" Castle replied, unconvincingly. Castle was surprised at the seriousness coming from Esposito.

"For a guy who's been following cops around and watching us take down perps for over a year, you'd think you'd know how to lie." Esposito said. Castle let out a breath. Just then the glass door opened, and Beckett stepped out.

"I'll see you later." Demming spoke with a smile. Castle rolled his eyes and Beckett turned to him just in time to catch it. She gave him an odd look of confusion, but decided not to ask. Esposito informed Beckett about the pills their vic was taking, and how they caused her odd behavior. Esposito went back to his desk and left Beckett with Castle at her's.

"Hey sorry about...I didn't know he..." Beckett apoligized.

"Don't worry about it. I found other ways to occupy myself." Castle spoke, although he could still feel his heartache.

"Not sure if I want to kn...Castle what is this?"Beckett suddenly changed her tone of voice, as she looked at her computer screen.

"Hm? Oh that would be my fan page. You know that, seeing as how you were still logged into it." Castle smiled. _Damn it!_ Beckett screamed in her head.

"I was a..." Beckett tried to explain, as Castle took it all in.

"Just research, I know." Castle smirked.

Beckett was speechless.

"It was in _plain view_. My name. At the bottom of your computer screen, I had to click on it...told you I kept myself occupied."

"There's gonna be another thing in _plain view_ if you ever touch my computer again, Castle." Beckett threatened, as she stared at him in the eyes closely.

"Promise...KBCastleReader." Castle added. Beckett's eyes widened, he knew her S/N.


End file.
